Latest news with #MarkOwens
Techday NZ
6 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Voitec appointed to distribute Heedify Teams console in ANZ
Voitec has been appointed as the official distributor for Heedify's attendant console solution for Microsoft Teams in Australia and New Zealand. Heedify offers an attendant console designed specifically for Microsoft Teams, allowing organisations to manage their frontline communications entirely within the Teams environment. The solution is intended to help receptionists, call handlers, and customer service staff operate more efficiently and deliver improved customer satisfaction. Unlike some attendant consoles that require third-party plugins or additional infrastructure, Heedify is installed natively and can be set up in less than sixty minutes. This approach aims to simplify both deployment and ongoing management for IT teams in a variety of organisations, from single-site enterprises to distributed, multi-location companies. Product features Heedify's core features include full integration with Microsoft Teams, meaning organisations can adopt the solution without having to configure external components or adapt existing workflows. Users benefit from intelligent call queueing, skill-based routing, and advanced IVR (Interactive Voice Response) navigation, which are designed to connect callers with the appropriate representative as quickly as possible. For customer-facing employees, Heedify also integrates with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, presenting relevant information during interactions and supporting more personalised service. Administrative controls are simplified, featuring delegated access along with real-time tracking of queue activity. Information such as wait times, call volumes, and call outcomes is accessible through standard reporting and can also be integrated into Power BI dashboards for more detailed analytics. Partnership rationale Mefteh Werghemmi, Co-founder of Heedify, described the solution's benefits for organisations seeking to improve frontline communication. "Heedify enables organisations to elevate their first impressions. It was built from the ground up for Microsoft Teams to streamline call flow, reduce wait times, and improve service levels. Customers such as NHS Royal Marsden and Endrix in Europe are already seeing measurable results. We're excited to partner with Voitec to bring these benefits to the ANZ market." For Heedify, working with Voitec is seen as an opportunity to reach a broader audience in the Australia and New Zealand region, supported by a distributor with longstanding relationships in the enterprise and government sectors. Mark Owens, Managing Director at Voitec, commented on the suitability of Heedify for current market needs. "Heedify brings a level of simplicity and integration that fits naturally into how many organisations already use Microsoft Teams. At Voitec, we've spent over a decade working closely with IT teams to understand their environments and help them overcome the real-world challenges of managing voice communications. Heedify offers a compelling solution that enhances the way frontline staff handle calls and interactions - without the complexity of disconnected systems or time-consuming deployments." Regional availability With the appointment, Heedify is now available across Australia and New Zealand through Voitec's distribution channels. The product is designed to address the requirements of both small-scale reception areas and larger, geographically dispersed call handling teams. The aim is to provide a functional and scalable solution for organisations seeking to align their communications infrastructure more closely with Microsoft Teams. Voitec's role will include supporting implementation, training, and ongoing customer service, drawing on its local presence and technical expertise. The company has a history of assisting businesses and public sector bodies in upgrading their communication systems and supporting integrations with Microsoft products and platforms. Voitec states that the partnership is intended to allow organisations in the region to adopt Heedify with confidence, with a focus on minimising deployment time and optimising call management processes for better overall customer interaction.
Hospitality Net
6 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Colliers Report Finds U.S. Hotel Sector Entering More Selective, Strategic Phase
Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company, released its 2025 Hospitality Outlook, which shows continued recovery in the U.S. hospitality industry over the past year. The report highlights improving financial health for hospitality assets, particularly in the Northeast and Central regions – driven by leisure travel and the return of conferences and events. From April 2024 to March 2025, U.S. hotels saw revenue per available room (RevPAR) rise 2.4%, average daily room rates (ADR) increase 1.9%, and occupancy also ticking up slightly. While some regions are still catching up to pre-pandemic demand, others are regaining previous cyclical highs. Regional Highlights: The Northeast and Central regions led the country in occupancy growth at 1.3%, as cities like New York, Chicago and Nashville benefited from both leisure and business travel. The South accounts for over 51% of all rooms under construction, driven travel and investor demand in the sunbelt. In the West, ADR are nearly 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels with hotelier's focusing on rate growth vs. occupancy gains. We're seeing performance diverge by region and asset type, which is creating targeted opportunities for investors who understand how to navigate today's complexity and capitalize on long-term fundamentals. Mark Owens, Vice Chair, Capital Markets, Colliers The report notes a modest decline in consumer travel spending, with lodging down 2.5% and airfare down 6% year-over-year. International travel may also face short-term challenges tied to economic conditions, particularly in global gateway markets, but strong domestic demand — especially for leisure and group travel — continues to support sector performance. While new supply remains active in select regions, rising costs and more selective lending are slowing development elsewhere, helping bring supply and demand into better balance. As the hospitality sector continues to evolve, investors, developers and operators will need to balance near-term dynamics with long-term opportunity. From shifting traveler behavior to new roles in mixed-use environments, hotels are helping shape the future of real estate. To read the full 2025 Hospitality Outlook from Colliers, visit: About Colliers International Colliers International is a global leader in commercial real estate services, with over 15,800 professionals operating out of more than 485 offices in 63 countries. A wholly owned subsidiary of The National Investor, one of Abu Dhabi"s leading investment management and advisory firms, Colliers International delivers a full range of services to real estate users, owners and investors worldwide, including global corporate solutions, brokerage, property and asset management, hotel investment sales and consulting, valuation, consulting and appraisal services and insightful research. The latest annual survey by the Lipsey Company ranked Colliers International as the second-most recognized commercial real estate firm in the world. In MENA Colliers International has corporate offices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When is Akron's 2025 St. Patrick's Day Parade? Hint, it's not on March 17 🍀
Plans are being finalized for Akron's Saint Patrick's Day parade and festivities. The downtown parade − sponsored by the Mark Heffernan/Margaret Judge Divisions of the Ancient Order of Hibernians with assistance from the city of Akron − will step off at noon on March 8. The parade and related festivities in downtown Akron are historically held the Saturday before the big day so as not to compete with other festivities and that big parade up north in Cleveland that will be held on March 17. This will mark the 42nd year of the Akron parade, which will start at Cedar and South Main streets and head northbound on South Main Street to Bowery Street. The city plans to close South Main Street between Bartges Street and Mill Street from 11:50 a.m. to around 2:30 p.m. on March 8. The parade will feature local bands, groups and floats. The grand marshal this year is the first Irish Honorary Consul in Ohio Mark Owens. Festivities before the parade and after are planned at the Ancient Order of Hibernians at 2000 Brown St. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: When is Akron's 2025 St. Patrick's Day Parade? It's not on March 17
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Effort in ‘red' swath of Oregon to join Idaho gets new life, as political secession has had mixed results
During the anti-police riots of 2020, Oregon was front-and-center as protesters vandalized Portland and made a dayslong violent stand in front of the Mark Hatfield Federal Courthouse. But in the eastern two-thirds of Oregon, the conservative geographic majority of the state did not ideologically align with their urban brethren. Over the past several years, the Greater Idaho movement has tried to create the conditions needed for about 13 counties to join the conservative Gem State next door. Greater Idaho began putting such measures up for votes in various counties in 2020 and this month saw Republican lawmakers file a bill in the state legislature that would create a task force to study "moving" the border. State Rep. Mark Owens, R-Malheur, put forward HB 3844, a measure that creates and directs a task force to document the impacts of relocating the Idaho border and requires a report be presented to lawmakers in Salem. Greater Idaho Movement Gains Momentum Read On The Fox News App Owens did not respond when reached for requests for comment. Greater Idaho president Mike McCarter said in a statement: "We are encouraged to see the representatives of Eastern Oregon coming together to advocate for their voters by bringing these bills to the Legislature. The people of Eastern Oregon have made clear they want to explore moving the border and joining Idaho. "This movement has always been about the people of Eastern Oregon, getting their voice heard and helping those communities get the kind of state-level governance they actually want." "If the Oregon Legislature truly believes in democracy, they will honor those voters' wishes and move forward on making a border change happen," executive director Matt McCaw told Fox News Digital. "Both bills have been moved into committee and are awaiting further action there." By shifting the border, proponents believe both states have a "win-win" – in that the people living in each would better reflect the established political majority and lower political tension. Ny Lawmaker Calls For Staten Island To Secede A report in the Central Oregonian noted an "interstate compact" is part of what is required to move the line, and cited other border-shifting bills in other states. One would forward the cause of adding several rural Illinois counties that don't see eye-to-eye with Springfield or Chicago to more closely aligned Indiana. Another in Iowa would allow the same movement for counties in the Land of Lincoln that are closer to the Hawkeye State line. Idaho GOP Gov. Brad Little and Oregon Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek did not respond to requests for comment. So far, only a few such movements regarding either secession or redrawing of state lines have been successful. The now-55 counties of West Virginia voted to secede from the then-Confederate Virginia and independently ratified the U.S. Constitution on June 20, 1863. A Washington Post story on the matter said Mountaineers split from Virginia as a way of "defending the 'United States'… rather than the 'seceded states'." In New York City's Staten Island – the "forgotten borough" as many locals call it – there has been a movement afoot for decades seeking to break from the Big Apple. Already geographically distant on the "New Jersey side" of the Hudson River, the borough is also separated from the Garden State by the Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill. Efforts to reestablish the reliably-red borough as the city of Richmond (after its coterminous county) or other names began with a favor from then-Gov. Mario Cuomo in the 1980s. Cuomo enraged city leaders but endeared himself to the working-class voters on the island by approving state Sen. John J. Marchi's push for a secession referendum. Marchi, who died in 2006 and now has a Staten Island Ferry named in his honor, saw his borough vote nearly 2-1 to secede in 1993 – only to have their desires quashed by Albany's Democratic majority. And while the 1995 election of Mayor Rudy Giuliani calmed secession tensions, the drumbeat began anew in recent months. "I think it's time to secede," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told The New York Post as Gov. Kathy Hochul was touting her congestion-priced driving fee that now double-taxes Staten Island commuters. "There's no real value in being part of this city or the state. We didn't vote for this mayor; we didn't vote for this governor; and we didn't vote for this president, but we're always the ones getting screwed," she article source: Effort in 'red' swath of Oregon to join Idaho gets new life, as political secession has had mixed results
